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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · perch · lie · swing · snap · mug · saw · bowl

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — to recline
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. snap — to click
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mug — to rob
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. perch — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com